Jamie Gittens reaches agreement in principle with Chelsea
Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens (20) has reached an agreement in principle to join Chelsea FC, according to a report this Saturday from RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins. The England U21 international is reportedly keen to return to his formative club. The Blues and Gittens have reached an agreement over a long-term seven-year contract that would tie the Dortmund winger at Stamford Bridge until 2032.
French media Sports Zone adds that Gittens is keen on Premier League football. The 20-year-old reportedly told his counsel he would be available to join Chelsea. Gittens would be the second player to join Enzo Maresca's Conference League winners after Ipswich Town centre-forward Liam Delap. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund will find a compromise over a transfer fee that would allow Gittens to feature for the Premier League side for the Club World Cup.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
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New York Times
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- New York Times
Club World Cup team guide – Real Madrid: Europe's superstars who will expect to dominate with Kylian Mbappe
Their failure to win any major trophies last season has led to a revolution at Real Madrid, starting with a change of head coach: Xabi Alonso in for Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian, who already has a new job managing Brazil's national team, was given an honourable farewell by the Santiago Bernabeu as the coach with the most titles (15) in the club's history, though the arrival of Alonso has brought a boost of enthusiasm. Advertisement The board has also acted quickly to improve the squad. Luka Modric, the player with the most trophies (28) in the club's history, and Lucas Vazquez will not have their expiring contracts renewed — both will leave, but not until after a last hurrah at this tournament. Jesus Vallejo, another whose contract ends on June 30, has been informed he won't be part of the squad travelling to the United States for the Club World Cup. In terms of playing arrivals, there are two big names in already. Centre-back Dean Huijsen signed from Bournemouth after Madrid triggered his £50million ($67.7m) clause. Trent Alexander-Arnold could have arrived for free on July 1 once his contract at Liverpool ran out but Madrid have paid €10million (£8.4m; $11.4m) for to get him a couple of weeks early specifically so he can play in this tournament. And The Athletic reported last month that Madrid were in talks with Benfica about left-back Alvaro Carreras. These early moves are no coincidence: Madrid is very interested in this new-look Club World Cup, for footballing, prestige and economic reasons. Follow the Club World Cup on The Athletic this summer… Their past year has been very disappointing. After winning the Champions League and La Liga in 2023-24, and despite bringing in Kylian Mbappe as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain, Madrid failed to land any of the three main trophies this campaign. They did lift the European Super Cup in August by beating Europa League winners Atalanta and added the Intercontinental Cup — the annual competition that used to be called the Club World Cup before FIFA got fancy — in December against Mexico's Pachuca (now one of their three opponents in the group stage of this tournament), but failed to make the grade in the other competitions. They finished second in La Liga behind Barcelona, who also beat them in the final of the Copa del Rey (and also the Spanish Super Cup), and were eliminated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, losing 5-1 over the two legs. However, Madrid have 15 European Cup/Champions League titles compared to Milan's next-best seven, 36 Spanish championships compared to Barcelona's second-biggest total of 28 and five Club World Cups, two more than anyone else (also Barca) — in other words, they are historically the dominant team in Spain, in Europe and worldwide, so are always going to be among the favourites. Madrid are one of 12 European sides in the 32-team tournament, which they qualified for via the continental champions' route, winning the Champions League in 2022 (which by itself ensured their presence at the Club World Cup) and doing so again in 2024. We don't really know yet, as Alonso will make his debut as Madrid coach at this Club World Cup. However, from his time at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, we can expect a very vertical and entertaining style of football. Alonso said when he was presented to the media as Ancelotti's replacement that he wanted to 'ignite the fans'. He said his goal is to 'transmit emotions, joy, that people enjoy, that they go to the stadium to enjoy, that on TV all over the world watching us they say, 'That's the team I like; that's my team, that's my Real Madrid''. He added: 'If we manage to ignite that, we will have an unstoppable force.' Advertisement In terms of his likely line-up, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick are injured and will not play at this tournament, and Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are not expected to be involved in Madrid's first group game for the same reason. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, out since October and November with serious knee injuries, might be unfit too. Alonso has returned to Madrid as a coach almost 11 years after his last game for them as a player, having won a Champions League and La Liga among other titles in his five seasons. After retiring as a Bayern Munich player in 2017, he began his coaching career at Madrid's academy, before moving on to lead the B team at Real Sociedad — another Spanish club he also played for — and then getting the top job at Leverkusen in October 2022. He quickly won the first Bundesliga in that club's history in 2024, going through the 34-game league season undefeated, and also steered them into the Europa League final, losing that game to Italy's Atalanta. Now, with the experience from his playing days in Spain, England (with Liverpool) and Germany under big names including Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Ancelotti, he is considered one of the best coaches in the world, despite being just 43 years old. He was long ago picked out by Madrid's decision-makers as the one to succeed Ancelotti when the Italian's time at the helm came to an end. Kylian Mbappe. The French striker's first few months at Madrid were very disappointing, with only nine goals in his first 19 games until early December. 'In Bilbao (on December 4, he missed a penalty away against Athletic Club as Madrid lost, 2-1), I hit rock bottom,' he admitted. After that, he played much better and the 26-year-old finished with the best goal stats ever for a Madrid debut season, his 43 in all competitions surpassing the 37 of Chilean forward Ivan Zamorano in the 1992-93 season. His total of 31 league goals earned Mbappe the 'Pichichi' award as La Liga's top scorer and also the European Golden Boot for the most goals across Europe's top domestic divisions. Arda Guler, a 20-year-old known as 'The Turkish Pearl', is one of Madrid's latest big bets on young talent. Signed in 2023 from Fenerbahce in his homeland, Guler's debut season was marred by injuries. But he ended the most recent campaign as a starter for Ancelotti. Now, with Alonso, who wanted him for Leverkusen before Madrid bought him, he is looking to cement himself in the line-up. He can operate in attack both from the right flank and as a playmaker and has also been used, for Turkey's national team and in recent months by Madrid, as an offensive midfielder. He has quality, precision and a magical left foot. Madrid fans are crazy about him. 'Hasta el final, vamos Real!' ('Until the end, come on Real!') is probably the most iconic. It speaks of the unwavering ambition, confidence and faith of a team who can never be given up on, because they rise to improbable comebacks, especially when playing at the Santiago Bernabeu. Their 2021-22 Champions League campaign, where they lifted the trophy after rallying from being behind at home in second legs to win ties against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City in the knockout rounds, is a good example. Barcelona. At the beginning of the 20th century, the rivalry was greater with neighbours Atletico Madrid, who will also play in this Club World Cup, but over the years their matches with Barcelona, a fixture now called El Clasico, have become heated and drawn the most interest, although the cities are almost 400 miles apart. Many voices at Madrid, in the offices more than the dressing room, have long pointed to this Club World Cup as the most important competition of the lot for them. They want to be the first club to win the expanded tournament to help them become a reference among the North American public — and they want the €100million+ in prize money that goes to the eventual champions, too. Their many successes and proud history are well known, so there are plenty of arguments to support Madrid in this competition… and also to want anyone but them to win it. Perhaps a point in their favour is the beautiful and modern football Alonso is expected to pursue. (All kicks-offs ET/BST) (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Kelsea Petersen/The Athletic)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Champagne shades: The NBA-inspired trend that's taking over soccer celebrations
Trophies and rings are the renowned physical marks of success in American sports, but there's an accessory that has become just as prevalent in championship-winning locker rooms as the shine of platinum or gold: 'champagne goggles'. Champagne has a long-term association with sporting glory. A bottle of Moet & Chandon, from one of the world's most prominent champagne houses, was passed to Italian motorsports driver Tazio Nuvolari after winning the Vanderbilt Cup in 1936. By 1969, honouring success with a bottle of champagne became part of the formal victory celebrations in Formula One, establishing a relationship between triumph in the sporting arena and sparkling wine. Advertisement It turned out to be a lasting one, with this niche motorsport tradition spreading across the sporting sphere in the United States and Europe. During the Premier League era, it was standard practice for man-of-the-match recipients to be handed a large bottle of champagne as a prize until 2012, when the league switched to a trophy in acknowledgement of the multi-faith diversity of its players. Still, drinking and spraying champagne to mark sporting success has remained, with soccer clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool even bringing non-alcoholic versions into the locker room to ensure everyone could participate in celebrating their respective Europa League and Premier League successes. Until recently, the 'champagne goggles' phenomenon was an entirely American one. However, it's inspired a trend that has been adopted by some of soccer's biggest names — and sometimes, champagne isn't even involved. It's unclear where the trend started but baseball hall-of-famer David 'Big Papi' Ortiz is probably the first influential figure to bring goggles to the locker room. The designated hitter was a star of the famous 2004 Boston Red Sox team that swept the St Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the World Series to end their 86-year wait for a title. As is customary in the MLB, they celebrated that triumph with champagne but long before ski goggles became the champion's eyewear du jour, Ortiz protected his eyes with swimming goggles. According to former team-mate Torii Hunter, Ortiz learned a lesson from their divisional title in 2002 with his previous club, the Minnesota Twins, where they celebrated without eye protection. As reported on the MLB website, 'their eyes burned enough from the champagne that they still hurt the next day'. Corks flying around the locker room at up to 30mph present a real danger, too. In 2022, Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay suffered an eye injury when a prosecco cork hit him after he won the 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia. The injury forced him to withdraw from the competition. As players looked to avoid the sting of the sparkling wine in their eyes or protect themselves from flying corks, 'champagne goggles' became common in World Series-winning locker rooms. However, the key crossover moment, perhaps the watershed juncture in its eventual international appeal, wouldn't happen until 2013. Despite falling well behind the NFL in viewership and interest in the United States, the NBA is comfortably America's most influential league internationally. There is arguably no greater driver of fashion and culture in world sport than the NBA and its superstar players. Follow the Club World Cup on The Athletic this summer… As the Miami Heat's 'Big Three' (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) celebrated their first title together with a locker-room champagne shower, veteran Ray Allen protected his eyes with a pair of Oakley ski goggles. Allen, who won championships with the Heat and the Boston Celtics in a hall-of-fame career, is often credited as the player who popularised goggles in NBA locker-room celebrations. Advertisement Now, they're essential for any equipment manager whose team are on the verge of a championship. After lifting the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 2022, Steph Curry celebrated while wearing ski googles from Under Armour, the shoe and sportswear company he has been signed to since 2013. Some of his Golden State Warriors team-mates wore Moet-branded goggles, while others donned black-and-gold variations designed by the NBA for the occasion. Giannis Antetokounmpo and James celebrated their recent championship successes with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, with pairs made by Nike. Last year, Jordan Brand athlete Jayson Tatum had a custom-made pair with 'champ' written behind a large Jordan logo on the lens as the Boston Celtics toasted becoming NBA champions. Primarily associated with basketball shoes and apparel, ski goggles made by Jordan are not available to the public. What started as a way to protect athletes from the hazards of champagne celebrations has become a prominent way for brands to advertise in the most significant moments. Now, the trend is spreading to Europe in the form of 'champagne shades'. While Ortiz and Allen were the pioneers of baseball and basketball respectively, Barcelona and Spain's 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal (main image) is leading a generation of players wearing sunglasses in title celebrations. Celebrating Barcelona's Copa Del Rey final win over arch-rivals Real Madrid in April, Yamal donned two pairs of sunglasses at once as he carried the trophy on the pitch at the Estadio La Cartuja. In recent weeks, Serie A MVP Scott McTominay was pictured with the Italian trophy wearing a pair of sunglasses, as were Napoli team-mates Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku. Many of the Tottenham group brought ski glasses to Bilbao for the Europa League final and wore them as they celebrated with the trophy in the locker room afterwards. Most recently, Paris Saint-Germain duo Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi were pictured holding the Champions League trophy wearing sunglasses after hammering Inter 5-0 in the final last weekend. Advertisement Perhaps the most illustrative example of the NBA's impact on European soccer was Bayern Munich star Michael Olise not only putting on a pair of sunglasses to celebrate their Bundesliga title win but pairing them with a set of 'grills', a type of dental jewellery worn over teeth popularised by American hip-hop artists. NBA and hip-hop is a marriage that has transcended eras and generations, from Allen Iverson's rap-inspired attire to nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, who has released several studio albums under Dame D.O.L.L.A.. Yamal, born four years after 50 Cent released Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2003, cites the New York rapper as his favourite. Even before Yamal's professional debut, Barcelona were one of the first high-profile soccer teams to document players arriving at the stadium in their pre-game outfits, taking influence from American sports. The trend has evolved from Ortiz's swimming goggles to luxury shades, with players sporting them in moments of celebration — and not necessarily always when the champagne corks are flying, with footballers wearing sunglasses both on the pitch in the immediate aftermath of a trophy win or during post-victory parades. The custom is a way to show off a slice of their personal style, similar to Iverson's popularisation of the shooting sleeve or Jimmy Butler's ninja-style headband. Butler, who now plays with Curry on the Warriors, is a big soccer fan and is friends with Brazilian star duo Neymar and Vinicius Junior. In an interview with the Associated Press, he described soccer players as 'the coolest people in the world'. Led by Yamal, these 'champagne shades' are yet another example of how soccer's new generation is unashamedly taking inspiration from the American sports' swagger and adding their own style and flavour to it.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Club World Cup team guide – River Plate: An illustrious history and a future South American star
The inaugural Club World Cup starts in the United States on June 14, with its 32 teams split into eight groups of four in the opening phase. As part of our guides to the sides that will feature in the tournament, James Horncastle gives you the background on River Plate. Follow the Club World Cup on The Athletic this summer… El Mas Grande ('the greatest'), this club from Buenos Aires need little introduction. The 38-time Argentine league champions also boast one of the most talked-about young stars in South American football (more on Franco Mastantuono later). River should be very good after spending more than €50million (£42.2m; $57m) in the transfer window. That's a huge amount for Argentine football. The funds were raised by selling players to Russian teams, as Spartak Moscow and CSKA Moscow signed a trio of River old boys. It took a while for head coach Marcelo Gallardo to integrate all the acquisitions — River essentially bought a new team — but German Pezzella, Lucas Martinez Quarta and Sebastian Driussi were all returning, too, after leaving clubs in Europe. Advertisement Gallardo's latest vintage finished strongly in the first half of the season (the Apertura), and rather satisfyingly threw Boca into crisis by beating them in the 'Superclasico' — a defeat that cost rival coach Fernando Gago his job. Unexpectedly, River then lost on penalties in the play-offs to Platense, who shocked everyone and won a top league title for the first time in their history. Unlike the Brazilian teams who qualified as recent winners of the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League equivalent, River booked their place based on their ranking over the last four years in continental competitions. They were the top-ranked eligible CONMEBOL (South American) team and sealed their place by beating Libertad 2-0 in last season's Copa Libertadores group stages with a brace from Miguel Borja, their experienced Colombian striker. River have a tradition of playing slick football going back to La Maquina, the legendary side of the late '30s and early '40s, which nudged South American football forward. Renato Cesarini and Carlos Peucelle, the most consequential coaches in River's history until Gallardo, used to say: 'What's the ball made of? Leather. And where does leather come from? Cows. And what do cows eat? Grass.' The ball has to eat grass. In other words, it has to move. Gallardo knows this better than anyone, but he is also a pragmatist who has always adapted his system to the players available and the opponent River are facing. Gallardo is only 49 and yet there is a towering bronze statue of him outside River's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. It shows him holding aloft the Copa Libertadores, a trophy he won as a player with River Plate in 1996 and then as a coach in 2015 and 2018. Known as the Muneco ('doll'), the baby-faced Gallardo is the most successful manager in River's illustrious history. This is his second spell as manager after Al Ittihad briefly lured him away to work in the Saudi Pro League. The statue that River unveiled of him raised eyebrows because it seemed Gallardo had stuffed another Libertadores trophy in his trouser pocket. 'Alisson? No! Franco Armani.' He is 38 and, let's be honest, isn't as good as Alisson in goal. But River's veteran goalkeeper has been caught up in too many legendary moments to count. He won his first Libertadores with Atletico Nacional in Colombia, married a Colombian and could have played for Colombia. Then Armani returned to Argentina, played another couple of Libertadores finals, winning one with River. He was a member of Argentina's World Cup-winning squad in Qatar in 2022 and helped advise Emiliano Martinez in the shootouts that decided the quarter-final and final. Daniele Adani, the former Inter centre-back turned pundit, who became a River fan because of his former team-mate Matias Almeyda, once said: 'Armani isn't the best goalkeeper in football, he's the best in humanity.' This is all an exaggeration. River continue to have arguably the best academy in Argentina and their latest graduate is the most talked about talent in South America. Franco Mastantuono made his debut for the national team in early June. He does not turn 18 until August yet his appearance for Argentina somehow felt overdue. A playmaker who operates from the right, Mastantuono finished the first half of the season in remarkable form, scoring and assisting seven times in his last nine club appearances in all competitions. The crowning moment was his incredible Superclasico-winning free kick against Boca in April, which flicked the hype machine into overdrive. There are so many to choose from. One is about a tarot card reader who tells a River fan to give up smoking weed and the booze, otherwise they'll go to the grave. She throws her cards and decrees River will be champions, their rivals in the mud, and frankly, that's all that matters. That would be Boca Juniors. It is South America's fiercest rivalry. Both clubs were founded in the same working-class neighbourhood, known as the mouth of Buenos Aires. Boca took its name and stayed. River moved around instead. They were social climbers, pitching up in Caballito, Palermo and Recoleta before settling down in well-to-do Nunez. This led River to be nicknamed the Millionaires. Their stadium, the Monumental, has a capacity of over 85,000, significantly larger than Boca's Bombonera, which holds 57,200. One of the huge stands of the Monumental was bankrolled by the transformational transfer fee Juventus paid for forward Omar Sivori in 1957. There are a couple of recent animating elements to this rivalry. Boca, for instance, revelled in River's relegation in 2011. River then got their own back by beating Boca in the 2018 Libertadores final. Boca's stadium is known as the 'chocolate box'. It is a bowl-shaped stadium except for one stand, which is square. The lore says that the houses behind that stand are owned by generations of River fans who refuse to sell up, stopping Boca from completing the curved look of the Estadio Alberto J Armando, known more colloquially as La Bombonera. Because River are El Mas Grande. The greatest. (All kicks-offs ET/BST) (Top photos: Rodrigo Valle/ Eurasia Sport Image/Getty; design: Kelsea Petersen/The Athletic)
